(RNS) A new survey shows in stark relief that what some are calling the Great Decline of religion in America continues: Since 2012, the U.S. has about 7.5 million more Americans who are no longer active in religion.

Earlier this month, the 2014 General Social Survey was released. The GSS is the gold standard for sociological surveys. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this multimillion-dollar study gives us the most accurate data on American society — including religion.

(An important point to remember as you see the data: Each percentage point increase represents a growth of 2.5 million adults. So a 3-point rise in secularity, for example, means that about 7.5 million people left religion since 2012.)

Percentage of Americans who say their religious preference is “none.” Religion News Service graphic by Tobin Grant.

1. More Americans prefer “no religion.”

When asked their religious preference, nearly 1 in 4 Americans now says “none.” Up until the 1990s, the percentage who were in this group known as “nones” hovered in the single digits. The 2014 GSS showed that nones are 21 percent of the population, up one point from 2012.

How large is this group? There are nearly as many Americans who claim no religion as there are Catholics (24 percent). If this growth continues, in a few years the largest “religion” in the U.S. may be no religion at all.

2. Americans aren’t going to church like they used to.

The number of Americans who never darken a church door is also at a new high. Over a third of Americans (34 percent) never attend a worship service (other than weddings and other ceremonies). This is a 3-point increase from just a few years earlier.

Percentage of Americans who say they never pray. Religion News Service graphic by Tobin Grant

3. More Americans say they never pray.

Is this just a departure from organized religion? Even with people no longer identifying with religion or attending worship services, they still pray. Nearly one-in-six Americans never prays.

(Tobin Grant blogs for Religion News Service at Corner of Church and State, a data-driven conversation on religion and politics. He is a political science professor at Southern Illinois University and associate editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.)

About the author

Tobin Grant

@TobinGrant blogs for Religion News Service at Corner of Church and State, a data-driven conversation on religion and politics. He is a political science professor at Southern Illinois University and associate editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

25 Comments

How can it be otherwise? The Catholic church has suffered from child abuse allegations. Fair minded people see the bigotry of religious people toward homosexuals. There is a general awareness that more secular inclined societies appear to have more equitable life styles. Anyone with an objective and enquiring frame of mind, encouraged by an increasing technical based infrastructure, perceives literal acceptance of holy writ as fostering a dysfunctional mind set. The actions of radical religious inspired groups in the Middle East are sick making. It requires little imagination to perceive religions as relics from a pre scientific world. The list goes on.

Another article that states the obvious. Is this a surprise to anyone? Evil is spreading and many are falling away just as God said would happen. But there is still hope. He that has ears to hear and eyes to see and hungers and thirsts for righteousness let him come to the Living Waters-Jesus Christ. There you will find rest for your souls. Ask God to forgive your sins through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Turn away from sin and rebellion and follow the Lord as He leads. Then you will be light to a dark and weary world. God Bess

I left Christianity in’97 after moving to the Right-Wing planet of Idaho. This is the “Christian” State where Jesus Loves the Rich while calling the working poor lazy because full time work won’t pay a living wage. Where Political-Jesus demands the Law discriminate against LBGTV people even tho Jesus NEVER mentioned the issue. Final straw was in ’98 when former Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig called PresClinton “…evil…” for the Monica Mess. It was obvious from his gleeful sneer (even Then) that the Senator was speaking about himself, projecting his own vile behavior onto others by Rule-Of-Law/Impeachment. And we ALL remember how Holy Mr. Craig “tapped” out his political career while in the sewer…

This trend will continue unfortunately. Loosing faith or religeous belief is a testament to the condition in which the people were worhiping. The take it or leave it groups are now leaving religeon. As secular society moves further away from God, the pressures applied to religeous followers to disbelieve will grow. non believers or people who state that they claim “no religeon” feel liberated from religious regulations. but this is a vision of grandur. To have no God is a religious belief. Do not kid yourselves. This universe is so amazing. It is about time that people give God the same awe and wonder as they do when they watch the stars.

I’m tempted to consider religion a poisoned pot and seek new food. But religion plays an important part in human life and it is not going away even in the face of rising secularism. It is so tied to our individual and group identity. I fantasize about a new religion based on love with a future (not a past) orientation. Love really is the oldest binding tie that humanity enjoys and need not focus on an ancient worldview that is adverse to a hyper-technical research based modern world. And what distinguished humanity from the rest of the animal world is our well-developed neocortex that allows us to project our thoughts and plans way out to the future. To be sure; when people are too busy worrying about survival today they wont be thinking too much about life on the planet a hundred years from now, but if they could they would and they can. Planning for future generations and creating safety for all now ought to be a big part of modern loving religion.

Good!! Religion doesn’t save you, just God. Catholicism is one is the biggest cults around. Although there are many among all religions and denomination. I just believe the bible. Church, religion, and denomination doesn’t save you. Only recognizing your wrongs, turning from them, and recognizing what Christ did for everyone will save you. You can be saved at church, saved at home, and no matter where you are. I am not religious, just believe the truth, and when asked or prompted for an opinion I give it without forcing it down anyone’s throat. The evidence of good and evil/right and wrong/positive and negative are obvious to all. I personally think it would be so depressing to think in the science life and death scenarios. Takes away meaning and purpose other than the short big bang lives we live.

Nonsense. That is a religious person’s view because they think that everything must have two sides. If they believe, then it must stand to reason that not believing would be the exact opposite “religion.”

But is it a religious belief for you not to believe in unicorns, Santa Claus or Zeus? Of course not. Believe me (pin intended), not believing in God is the exact same thing as not believing in anything else that has insufficient evidence.

It boggles my mind how atheists think they’re not bigots by saying all religious people are bigots. *clap, clap* I used to be like that, but the agnostic version, and quickly figured out how stupid it was. And, the final point tells us that a chunk of the “nones” are theists, probably agnostic. “None” doesn’t mean atheist.

So, Nick, you lost your faith because of politics? Isn’t that rather like saying you no longer follow football because you just can’t find a decent hamburger anymore? (In other words, a complete non sequitur. One has nothing to do with the other.)

I have come to view belief in God as a signal to noise ratio. God ‘s power is like the undiscovered bosons in the Standard theory of Physics.
As residents of dirt floor dwellings, our ancestors were taught that messengers came as good and bad angels…it seems as if the mad German copilot, who crashed his planeload of passengers, was besieged by demons and ISIS is guided by them.
Easter week teaches us that Jesus had to die, despite having the power of heaven available, to truly become human and experience our mortal coil while leading the way to resurrection from death.
Everyone seeks to justify their actions, no matter how debased, and insist they have a reasonable argument to continue in their behavior.
Modern society insists on a new morality that seems to have befuddled the original intent. Celebration and ceremony can become as befuddled if the signal from God is weak.

“The GSS is the gold standard for sociological surveys. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this multimillion-dollar study gives us the most accurate data on American society — including religion.” — FALSE.

The GSS has lots of problems and has proven itself not to be a reliable source of data. (For example, according to the GSS, American men have twice as much sex with a condom as the total number of condoms sold in the U.S.) On matters of religion, the work of Pew and of Gallup is superior to that of the GSS.